Recipe 19- Baked Tortellini

                                                           BAKED TORTELLINI

1 pound cheese-filled tortellini
1 C heavy cream
salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
1 C shredded mozzarella
3/4 C shredded smoked mozzarella
1/2 pound ham, cubed

Boil tortellini in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a saute pan, cook cream over medium-high heat until reduced by one-third. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Butter a baking dish and add half the tortellini. Top with half of the cheese and ham. Repeat, using remaining ingredients and then pour cream on top.
Bake at 375 degrees until the top is slightly crusty, about 20 minutes.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty *
Taste *****

This meal was very successful. Peter, who dislikes tortellini, even enjoyed it. I would bake this again.

When I cooked the meal, I substituted smoked cheddar for smoked mozzarella because they did not have smoked mozzarella in the small grocery store that I shopped in.  When I make the meal for the second time, I would like to try it with the smoked mozzarella, not cheddar.

I found this recipe inside a folder of recipes kept by my mother in her kitchen at 9 Janes Lane, Lloyd Harbor, New York.  The recipe is clipped from the February 24, 1985 of Newsday.          

Recipe 18- Chicken Stir Fry

                                                                CHICKEN STIR FRY


chicken
1 1/2 C celery
3/4 C carrots
1 small green pepper
1 small onion in rings
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 C soy sauce
1 can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Blend cornstarch, tomato sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger to make sauce.

Brown meat. Add onion, carrots, and celery.  Continue stirring. Add green pepper. Stir in sauce. Mix and continue cooking for 4 minutes.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty *
Taste *****

This dish was a great success.  The family enjoyed the meat and vegetables and the sauce.  The soy sauce and ginger added a nice interesting flavor.  I will definitely make this meal again.

I found this recipe on one of my mother's handwritten recipe cards.

Recipe 17 - Scalloped Cauliflower

                                                       SCALLOPED CAULIFLOWER


2 packages cauliflower, cooked and drained
1 can cream of celery soup
1/3 C milk
1/2 C grated sharp cheddar cheese

Place cauliflower in casserole. Combine soup, milk, and cheese and pour over cauliflower.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Add, if desired, the last 5 minutes of baking time, 1/4 cup of buttered bread crumbs or flavored stuffing.



Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty *
Taste **

Although cauliflower is generally liked by my family, this recipe was not a hit.  The taste was very bland.  If I make the recipe again, I will most certainly add the bread crumbs for added flavor.

I found this recipe on one of my mother's handwritten recipe cards.

Recipe 16- Chocolate Silk Pie (French Chocolate Pie)

                                                               CHOCOLATE SILK PIE
                                                           (FRENCH CHOCOLATE PIE)

1 frozen deep-dish pie crust (9 inch), thawed
1 1/2 pkg (4 oz each) BAKER'S semi-sweet chocolate ( 6 oz), broken into pieces
10 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 C cholesterol-free egg product
1 C thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty *
Taste *****

For my daughter Caroline Welch's 11th birthday, I made this pie for our family celebration.  Her favorite pie is Chocolate Pie. The family enjoyed this sweet dessert.

My mother kept a similar recipe to the one above in her recipe folder in her kitchen in Lloyd Harbor, New York.  My mother's recipe was found on the back of an old  Cool Whip cover. The price of Cool Whip was 75 cents at the time.   I began to prepare my mother's recipe for chocolate pie BUT I noticed that her recipe called for 2 uncooked eggs.  I presume that back in the 1970's eating uncooked eggs was not seen as a signifiacant health risk. I went to the internet and researched chocolate pie recipes.  The above recipe is the current recipe ( 2013) provided by COOL WHIP for making chocolate silk pie.  The recipe is essentially the same as my mother's recipe but calls for cholesterol-free egg product instead of eggs.      

  

Recipe 15- Dessert Bars (Variation on 7 Layer Bars)

                                     
                                                                 DESSERT BARS
                                                   (VARIATION ON 7 LAYER BARS)


3 tablespoons of butter
1/2 package of white cake mix
1 1/2 C miniature marshmallows
1 package (6 oz.) of semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 can (3 1/2 oz.) flaked coconut
1 C broken mixed nuts
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In oven, melt butter in well greased oblong pan, (13x9x2). Rotate pan until butter covers bottom. Sprinkle cake mix (dry) in pan. Sprinkle marshmallows, chocolate pieces, coconut and nuts on cake mix in order listed. Pour milk evenly on top.

Bake about 30 min. or until golden brown. Run knife around edges to loose sides. Cool. Cut into bars.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty *
Taste *****

For the past several years, I have been a member of a bible study.  Several times a year, I host the bible study at my home for lunch.  I made these dessert bars and they were a tremendous hit. They are a variation on the 7 Layer Bar and equally simple to make. Note that the nut that I used in this recipe was hazelnut.

I found this recipe in the Lloyd Harbor Elementary School Cookbook (my elementary school), cir. 1973.  My mother, Carol Callaghan, is credited with submitting this recipe to the school cookbook.

  

Recipe 14- 7 Layer Bars (Aka Fudgie-Scotch Squares or Magic Cookie Bars)

                                                                    7 LAYER BARS
                                ( FUDGIE-SCOTCH SQUARES OR MAGIC COOKIE BARS)


1/4 C butter
1 and 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 package (1 Cup) chocolate chips
1 package (1 Cup) butterscotch morsels
1 C flaked coconut (optional)
1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)

Melt butter in 9 by 13 well greased baking pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over the butter. Layer next three ingredients ( chocolate chips, butterscotch morsels, and coconut). Pour condensed milk over top. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 45 minutes and then cut into 1 and 1/2 inch squares.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty *
Taste *****

For the last four years, we have hosted the annual Rancho San Miguel Swim Team Bunco Fundraiser at our house.  I served these treats at the fundraiser.  The bars were very simple to make and they were a big hit!

My mother, Carol Callaghan,  had two copies of this recipe in her kitchen. One is written is her handwriting and it titles the recipe as " 7 Layers". The other is a printed recipe that titles the recipe, "Fudgie-Scotch Squares".  After making the recipe, I spoke to my Aunt Aurelie McCarthy and she referred to the recipe as "Magic Cookie Bars".   Whatever the title, I will certainly make this simple recipe again.          

Recipe 13- Apple-Nut Coffee Cake

                                                            APPLE-NUT COFFEE CAKE


Cake Ingedients
2 C  flour
1 C sugar
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C butter, softened
1/4 C milk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 medium (2 Cups) cooking apples, peeled and chopped (McIntosh).Peaches can be substituted for apples.

Topping Ingredients
1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all cake ingredients, except apples, in large mixer bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth (2 to 3 minutes).  Gently stir in apples by hand.  Spread batter into greased 13 by 9 inch baking pan.
Combine all topping ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle over batter.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty **
Taste *****

My favorite aunt, Aurelie McCarthy, provided me with this recipe. Aunt Aurelie has made this breakfast treat for several holiday gatherings.  I made this recipe for a morning get together with friends. It was a great dish to serve with  tea/coffee on a chilly fall morning.